Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the European Commission recommendation on the maximum permitted blood alcohol content for drivers of motorised vehicles (2001/115/EC) and what response it has given.

Nicol Stephen: Legislation relating to drink driving, including the maximum permitted blood alcohol limit, is the responsibility of the UK Government.

Education

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what teaching qualifications are required for teachers (a) seconded and (b) contracted to the Rowanlea Resource Centre in Paisley run by Kibble Education and Care.

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what emphasis is placed upon teaching qualifications under the service level agreement for teachers at the Rowanlea Resource Centre in Paisley run by Kibble Education and Care.

Peter Peacock: I understand the service level agreement between Renfrewshire Council, who operate Rowanlea Resource Centre, and Kibble Education and Care requires that all teachers who work at the centre are registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland and have appropriate qualifications in the subjects they are employed to teach.

Education

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it, or any other relevant agency, has taken to investigate the safety of children at Kerelaw and Kibble schools.

Peter Peacock: The following action has been taken by the relevant agencies in relation to Kerelaw School:

  Strathclyde Police is conducting an investigation into the allegations made.

  Following a request by Glasgow City Council, the Care Commission and HM Inspectorate of Education have investigated management and care arrangements at the school and are finalising their report.

  Glasgow City Council has suspended a number of staff, including precautionary suspensions.

  The Scottish Executive has written to Glasgow City Council requesting regular information on progress including any new arrangements to protect the welfare of the children.

  In relation to Kibble Care and Education Centre:

  Strathclyde Police is completing an investigation into the allegations.

  The Care Commission and, separately, the Registrar of Independent Schools, have written and asked the centre for information on the steps being taken to ensure the protection of the children using the service.

  Further action will be considered once the results of the police investigation are known.

Education

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the shortfall is in the number of primary teachers in each local authority area.

Peter Peacock: The latest information on the number of primary teacher vacancies relates to February 2004 and is contained in a set of tables Full-time Equivalent Teacher Vacancies in Schools , a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32903).

Education

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities own, or have a controlling interest in, an outdoor education centre.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not held centrally.

Environment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-9753 by Ross Finnie on 17 August 2004, which rivers or waters in the Borders area were monitored; where the monitoring sites are located, and when there were last reports from these sites.

Ross Finnie: This is an operational matter for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. The information is not held centrally.

Fishing

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has carried out on the future ownership or lease of the fishing rights on (a) Loch Katrine, (b) Loch Arklet and (c) Glen Finglas reservoir.

Ross Finnie: None. This is a matter for Scottish Water.

Ministerial Correspondence

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will reply to my letter of 30 June 2004 entitled "A90 – Flooding Problems at Stirling Village, Peterhead".

Nicol Stephen: I replied to your letter on 20 August 2004.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has given to NHS Borders in respect of the procedures for, and public consultation on, the closure of cottage hospitals.

Malcolm Chisholm: Guidance on public consultation was issued to the NHS by the Scottish Executive in May 2002, in Health Department Letter (2002) 42 – Consultation and Public Involvement in Service Change – Draft Interim Guidance for Consultation (Bib. number 21063). No specific guidance has been provided relating to service change issues involving cottage hospitals. The guidance has been revised in partnership with the NHS, and other stakeholders, to reflect the experiences of involving the public in the consultation process, and revised material will be issued shortly.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of bed blocking is at Borders General Hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of patients whose discharge from Borders General Hospital was delayed, according to the quarterly census, is shown in the following table:

  

Quarterly Census
Total
Outwith Six Week Discharge Planning Period2


January 2002
8
7


April 2002
12
7


July 2002
8
6


October 2002
8
-


January 2003
12
4


April 2003
12
8


July 2003
10
6


October 2003
13
5


January 2004
7
3


April 2004
6
3



  Notes:

  1. Total number of patients ready for discharge, in all specialties, reported from January 2002 to April 2004 quarterly censuses.

  2. Number of patients ready for discharge with a duration of over six weeks (43 days or more), i.e. the common period for discharge planning agreement timescale across Scotland.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is made by NHS Borders for residential palliative care in dedicated units and in which locations.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Borders does not have a dedicated specialist palliative care unit. Inpatient specialist palliative care is provided at Borders General Hospital.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what notice was given to NHS boards that they should start planning for the provision of out-of-hours care in the community.

Malcolm Chisholm: UK-wide negotiations over the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract began during 2001-02. A framework document was produced in April 2002 which contained an early indication of the proposed new out-of-hours arrangements. Further information was contained in the contract document itself, published in February 2003 and accepted in a GP ballot in June 2003. The National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Regulations 2004, which came into force at 1 April 2004, set out in detail the terms to be included in contracts.

  NHS boards have been aware from these documents of the need to plan for the re-provision of out-of-hours care and have until 31 December 2004 to do so.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards have established a system of out-of-hours treatment.

Malcolm Chisholm: To date, three NHS board areas have established their new out-of-hours arrangements as part of the implementation of the new General Medical Services contract. One NHS board area has signalled there will be no change to the previous arrangements and the remainder have developed detailed plans with a view to introducing new arrangements by the deadline of 31 December 2004.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS boards have stated that they are underfunded for the setting up of out-of-hours treatment systems.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards are currently developing their plans for out-of-hours service re-provision and most are not yet in a position to provide final figures. However, this is a key priority for NHS systems and any potential additional financial pressure should be placed within the context of a record uplift in general allocations to boards across Scotland of £370 million in 2004-05. In addition, the introduction of the new General Medical Services contract is supported by 33% increased investment in primary care over its first three years.

National Health Service

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards will have an out-of-hours scheme in place by December 2004.

Malcolm Chisholm: All NHS boards, other than NHS Orkney, have indicated that they will have new service models in place before 31 December 2004. No GP practices in Orkney intend to transfer responsibility for out-of-hours provision and so the current arrangements will continue there.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which schemes are funded under the bus route development scheme, showing the amount awarded in each case.

Nicol Stephen: Transport authorities were invited to submit proposals by 30 July 2004. The proposals received are currently being analysed, and once this process is complete recommendations will be made as to which proposals should be supported. An announcement regarding which schemes are to receive funding will be made soon.

Road Safety

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources have been provided to Grampian Police to operate mobile cameras at dangerous spots on the A90.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive promotes the Scottish Safety Camera Programme which co-ordinates the work of safety camera partnerships across Scotland. Currently 14 mobile sites operate on the A90 within the Grampian Police Force area and as part of the programme.

Road Signs

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to number the exits on the M8/A8 westbound between junctions 5 and 10 and, if so, whether the exit numbers will be displayed on the exit signs.

Nicol Stephen: In accordance with the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2002 junctions on motorways are numbered while junctions on non-motorway dual carriageways are named.

  The junctions between junction 6 and junction 8 of the M8 motorway are on the recently upgraded A8 dual carriageway and are named only. When the A8 is upgraded to motorway the junctions will be numbered.

Road Signs

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when new safety signage will be erected on the A90 at Laurencekirk.

Nicol Stephen: BEAR Scotland Ltd has been commissioned to investigate and report on what additional road safety measures, including signage, would be appropriate at the A90/A972 junction at Laurencekirk junction following the recent fatal accident. All appropriate recommendations will be acted on as quickly as possible.

Roads

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the £3 billion capital programme of transport investment over 10 years will be spent on roads.

Nicol Stephen: The final cost of each of the projects will depend on the prices achieved through tendering. On current estimates less than 40% of the £3 billion capital programme for transport investment will be spent on roads.

Roads

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much income has been derived by local authorities from parking (a) charges and (b) penalties (i) in total and (ii), broken down by local authority, in each financial year since 1997-98.

Nicol Stephen: Gross income derived from "parking charges" and "penalties" are not separately identifiable but the "total" is available for each year from 1997-98 in the CIPFA Ratings Review publications, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre:

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1997-98 (Bib. number 7545).

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1998-99 (Bib. number 7548).

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1999-2000 (Bib. number 14654).

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 2000-01 (Bib. number 19781).

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 2001-02 (Bib. number 26652).

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 2002-03 (Bib. Number 30403).

Roads

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any aspect of the plans for the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route has been, or will be, subject to a strategic environmental assessment and, if so, how such an assessment will be used in taking the project forward.

Nicol Stephen: The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be subject to an environmental impact assessment under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Scotland) Regulations 1999 and the results published in an Environmental Statement.

Roads

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route will be built as a PPP project or will be directly funded.

Nicol Stephen: The procurement method has still to be decided.

Roads

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it gives to local authorities in the preparation of route action plans for trunk roads within their areas.

Nicol Stephen: Where councils are not acting as our agents for the preparation of Route Action Plans, they are treated as consultees to ensure that proper account is taken of local needs as well those of trunk road traffic in identifying improvements.

Scottish Natural Heritage

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement issued by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) on 28 July 2004 which states that the financial package for SNH staff has been approved by the Executive, how many posts will be relocated to Inverness and how many will remain in Edinburgh; what the estimates are of the total cost of the package, broken down into redundancy payments and payments to staff who choose to relocate; what the estimate is of the total cost of the package assuming (a) all and (b) no staff move; what the maximum redundancy payment is that would be paid to any SNH employee and whether that sum is more or less than the sum of £250,000 reported in the press; whether any "signing on" or "staying on" offer has been made, or paid, to staff of other public sector bodies and, if not, whether the Executive considers that payments for SNH staff have set a precedent that may lead to claims by those who are relocated in the future.

Allan Wilson: Decisions on future organisation and staffing levels will be for SNH Management in the first instance. However, we announced in October 2003 that the Executive had agreed with SNH proposals to retain up to 50 posts in the Edinburgh area beyond the date of the main move, reducing to 25 in the longer term and the SNH Relocation Plan assumes 278 staff in the new Inverness HQ in 2006, rising to 303 in 2010.

  The Executive supports SNH management in its objective of encouraging staff to relocate and on 30 March ministers approved its Human Resources package of measures which seeks to maximise the number of staff who will choose to relocate, while providing value for money and securing business continuity. Tavish Scott made clear to the Finance Committee that the terms offered to staff of public sector bodies will, as in this instance, depend on the specific circumstances of each relocation.

  The cost of the package and of the different elements cannot be assessed accurately at this stage. The variable factors include the number of staff opting to relocate and the length of service and salary level of those who do not. Any severance payments will be paid in accordance with the standard Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme rules. I understand that SNH expect to undertake a staff survey once staff have had an opportunity to consider the options the results of which will enable SNH to update the cost assumptions in the project plan. A revised version of the project plan is likely to be available in the autumn following completion of the tender process for the building procurement at which stage a copy of the plan will be placed in SPICe.

Smoking

Mr Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to encourage individuals to participate in its consultation on smoking in public places.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-9370 on 10 September 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/search_wa .

Speed Limits

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will introduce a temporary 50mph speed limit at Laurencekirk on the A90 until a graded junction can be built.

Nicol Stephen: BEAR Scotland Ltd has been commissioned to investigate and report on what additional road safety measures would be appropriate following the recent fatal accident. All appropriate recommendations will be acted on as quickly as possible.

Waste Management

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what controls exist over the use of human sewage sludge to regenerate marginal non-agricultural land.

Ross Finnie: The use of human sewage sludge to regenerate marginal non-agricultural land requires a full licence under the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994, as amended, except where an appropriate exemption is registered. The appropriate exemption is that in Paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 to the 1994 Regulations. As with all exemptions, the relevant objectives in Paragraph 4(1) of Part 1 of Schedule 4 to the 1994 Regulations, which protect human health and the environment, must be met. Paragraph 8 also specifically requires observance of soil concentration limits for heavy metals set out in the Sludge (Use in Agriculture) Regulations 1989.

  I laid the Waste Management Licensing Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004 before the Scottish Parliament in June of this year. These amend Paragraph 8 of the 1994 Regulations to ensure that the enhancement of crop growth or ecological improvement to be gained by the activity should be demonstrated in advance to the satisfaction of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, according to statutory procedures. The 2004 Regulations also give the agency powers relating to the renewal and removal of registrations. These changes will come into force on 12 January 2005.

  There are no current plans for further changes to the relevant legislation. In any event, controls in other regimes, such as those in the Control of Pollution Act 1974 on water pollution and in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 on noise, odours and other nuisances, apply even to exempted activities.

Waste Management

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether regular testing of human sewage sludge used on non-agricultural land is undertaken to determine levels of any toxic contaminants that may be present.

Ross Finnie: Sewage sludge is spread on non-agricultural land either in pursuance of a full licence under the Waste Management Licensing regulations 1994, as amended, or under a registered exemption under the terms of Paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 to those regulations. It is a requirement of registration of any exemption that the relevant objectives in Paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 4 to the 1994 Regulations should be observed. These include that waste should be recovered or disposed of without endangering human health.

  How this may be demonstrated is a matter for discussion between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the operator and may include testing to determine levels of any basic contaminants if this is considered appropriate. The amendments in the waste Management Licensing Amendment (Scotland) Regulations 2004 which come into force on 12 January 2005 provide for annual renewal of Paragraph 8 exemptions.

Waste Management

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what account is taken of the proximity of agricultural or other sites of biological sensitivity when considering proposals to use human sewage sludge on non-agricultural land.

Ross Finnie: Sewage sludge is spread on non-agricultural land either in pursuance of a full licence under the Waste Management Licensing regulations 1994, as amended, or under a registered exemption under the terms of Paragraph 8 of Schedule 3 to those regulations. Where a licence is granted these factors would be taken into account and it is a requirement of registration of any exemption that the relevant objectives in Paragraph 4(1) of Schedule 4 to the 1994 Regulations should be observed. These include that waste should be recovered or disposed of without risk to plants or animals, and without adversely affecting the countryside or places of special interest. How this may be demonstrated is a matter for discussion between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the operator.